DRIVE NOW May/June 2022

Prepare your home,
office & surrounds
RACV General Manager Home
Portfolio, Darren Turner, said being
prepared for severe weather events
at home can save owners time,
money and prevent the risk of
serious injury.
However, it’s often the simple things
that make the biggest difference
when it comes to avoiding severe
damage to your home and your
possessions in a severe weather
event.
“It’s important to tend to any
maintenance required around the
home – particularly cleaning out
gutters – and check that loose items
such as outdoor settings, umbrellas
and trampolines are secured under
cover and away from trees,” Mr
Turner said.
“Don’t take any risks – stay indoors
and away from windows during
a storm and continue to monitor
weather warnings and forecasts
by the Bureau of Meteorology
website.”
“Stay away from fallen powerlines
– you should always assume that a
powerline is live, with the potential
to cause very serious harm.”
Sufficient Insurance
coverage
One of the most crucial aspects
of preparing for severe weather
is ensuring you have sufficient
insurance cover – urging people to
check that their policy is up to date
and covers extreme events, such as
floods.
The RACV website features a helpful
tool to assist homeowners in
calculating the rebuild cost of their
home.
Check your heaters
“Running a heater that isn’t
working efficiently can impact the
health, safety and finances of your
household,” Mr Turner said.
“A regular heater service by a
qualified professional before winter
can help improve air quality, reduce
running costs, maximise the life
span of your heater and greatly
reduce the risk of an electrical fault
and fire.”
Safety on our Winter
roads
RACV Policy Lead - Safety, Elvira
Lazar, said there were several things
people could do to prepare for
extreme weather on the road.
“Whether it’s a severe storm,
powerful winds or just light rain, a
change in conditions on the road
and home can have a significant
impact,” Ms Lazar said.
“Weather conditions can change
very quickly, so it’s important to
plan ahead wherever possible and
have safety at the forefront of your
mind.”
RACV’s Tips for heavy
rain and flash flooding
If driving conditions are dangerous,
increase the gap between you and
the car in front to give you more
time to react and, if necessary,
safely pull over.
If a road is flooded, find an
alternative route. Flood waters
can be deeper than you think and
sometimes powerful enough to
wash a car right off the road – it’s
simply not worth the risk.